Buena Vista Orchestra

Rooted in Havana, Buena Vista Orchestra traces its lineage to the Buena Vista Social Club, the mid-90s project assembled by Juan de Marcos González with Ry Cooder. Inspired by the atmosphere of the old social club, it brought son cubano, bolero, guajira and danzón back into focus with a stripped acoustic setup of voices, guitars and tres, piano and traditional percussion. The 1997 studio album gathered Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo, each drawing on repertoires from pre-revolutionary orchestras. The momentum carried onto international stages, documented by Wim Wenders in 1999 and later by the Carnegie Hall live release, while the 2015 Lost and Found collection gathered rare studio takes from those sessions.

On stage today, the touring orchestra keeps that songbook alive. Arrangements lean on warm strings and piano, bright trumpet lines and hand-played rhythms, with call-and-response choruses and room for soloists and lead vocals. The focus stays on acoustic textures and the dance-born pulse of Cuban popular music.

Buena Vista Orchestra plays Bella Concert Hall, Calgary, on October 29, 2026.